Blair Tarrant: Black Sticks player on his hockey retirement

Black Sticks defensive stalwart Blair Tarrant is retiring from international hockey after a career spanning 15 years.

He began his career in Dunedin, and walked away having competed in three Olympic Games campaigns,  three World Cups and three Commonwealth Games.

He joined Piney to discuss this latest development. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks d B.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
After an incredible career spanning over fifteen years, Blacksticks men's
defender and former captain Blair Tarrant has announced his retirement
from international hockey. He's been to three Olympic Games, three
Commonwealth Games and three World Cups, racking up two hundred
and seventy two matches for the national side. Blair Tarrant

(00:33):
has with US congratulations made on a stellar career. How
did you know that it was time? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Thanks, I kind of felt like it was time probably
about six months ago and then yeah, feel good about
it now.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
To be honest, did any part of you want to
carry on?

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Oh, there's a World Cup next year, so there was
a small part of me that was considering whether to
push through to that, but the time had passed definitely.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, how do you know, though, because I'm sure if
you carried on you could go to that World Cup
and who knows beyond that? Did what was your decision
making process? And once you did make the decision, as
you say, were you're pretty comfortable with it?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Actually, good question. I think there's a couple of things
The first thing is there's a bunch of young guys
who are really good, and I reckon they need a
good runway to the next Olympics. And then on the
flip side, the body is getting pretty sore. So that's
kind of answered my question of it there as are.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
You da boot for the national team at the age
of what nineteen twenty? Did you feel ready for international
hockey when you Dbut.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
No, probably not. I think in New Zealand sometimes we
get chucked in reasonably young because of the depths in
this country, and it takes a while to get to
that level. So I think the truth is no, it
is not at the start.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
And how long did it take? When did you start
to feel comfortable at international level?

Speaker 3 (01:57):
It kind of comes in swings, like there was a
period where you know you might get a bit of form,
and then I think after maybe a year or so
in the environment, I started feeling it in every part
of the game. But it takes You need to keep
developing your whole career, and I tried to do that
my whole way through.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
How did your game evolve and develop during your time
in the national side.

Speaker 3 (02:19):
I think my on boll hockey got better and as
I got older, my defending got worse, so it was
a bit of a mixmag I reckon.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
And what about the game of hockey itself? Did did
did the game of hockey change and evolve significantly in
terms of the way it was played during your time
at the top?

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Yeah, it has a lot actually, like for all changes,
et cetera. The biggest change for me these days is
probably the ability players had with the high ball, so
the ability to receive it and the ability to have
it on a dime to beat defenses. I reckon, That's
probably the biggest change I've seen. Also, the cool thing
about hockey is every kind of area in the world

(03:03):
plays quite differently, so we do playing against an Asian
team or europe team, like, it's quite unique in the
way each team plays. And I reckon, that's yeah, that's
quite cool fockey.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
What were the hallmarks of the way the Black Sticks played?
What was in the Black Sticks Hockey DNA during your
time in the team.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah. I think when we're at our best, we are
really dangerous on the counter attack, and we play a
skillful game, and we have to keep leaning into that
because you know, it is hard at the top. But
that for me, we are dangerous on the counter and
we have individual ability when we're at our best.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
Does anything in particular stand out as a career highlight?

Speaker 3 (03:41):
Oh, not no tournament in particular, but probably just the
environment at times when it was at its best, Like
it's so fun to be in and then you go
through the hard times which make it even better when
you push through when the team's going well again. So
probably the reflecting on that in terms of, you know,
getting the team through tough times to then launch into

(04:02):
the future probably my highlight.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
And you captain the side for a five year peer
I read which took in the COVID years as well,
which must have been a challenge in itself. What was
your leadership style in the Black Sticks?

Speaker 3 (04:14):
I think reasonably direct when it comes to hockey, but
also just trying to trying to build a connection with
every player and the team. Don't always get it right,
but yeah, connections first and then yeah, pretty direct when
it comes to Hopey itself.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
You may mention of it before with some youngsters coming through,
how do you evaluate where the high performance men's programmers
right now?

Speaker 3 (04:39):
The Black Sticks themselves, the men I think have a
lot of talent in there, and I think they could
do something, specially in the next two years. But I'm
an optimist and I like to think that. But yeah,
I think it's in a good space in the men's
side and the women as well.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
What are the challenges facing the game here?

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Oh? Look, the challenges are we're on the other side
of the world and it's expensive, so for young guys
to get exposed to top tournaments, top coaching, etc. You know,
like it's hard from the start of the world, but
you know we can still make it work.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Do you think you'll miss it.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
I don't think i'll miss playing at the highest level
anymore because that's passed in my mind. But I'll definitely
miss being around the guys and then working really hard
collectively to make something happen.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Will you stay involved in the game?

Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, I enjoy coaching, So I'm doing a bit of
coaching at the moment, and yeah, I really enjoyed that,
so I'll stand involved.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Do you reckon though, You'll be coaching and then you'll think,
oh gee, I could get back out there.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, my ego will think that it'll be wrong.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Love it, Blair, love it well, mate, It's been an
absolutely magnificent career. Congratulations on it. I'm glad you're staying
involved in the game, mate. Thanks for taking the time
for a chat this afternoon.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
Yeah awesome. Thanks for chatting to me, mate, No, thank.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
You for chatting to me. Blair Blair Tarrent there, who
has announced his international retirement from hockey fifteen years in
the national side, two hundred and seventy two matches, three Olympics,
three Commonwealth Games, three World Cups, as well.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
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